Seen on the Road

At the Toponas, Colorado General Store, Colorado SR 131.
Day 4, 2014 Ride the Rockies. Population 44, elev. 8284 ft. Ride On!

Ride Report: Ride the Rockies 2014

Finish in Downtown Golden, Colorado

June 21, 2014.  Four of our Upland Windbreaker ranks have returned from a high country bicycling adventure of epic proportion, testing not only one’s physical abilities but mental boundaries as well. Covering approximately 495 miles and 39,000 vertical feet of climbing (including 6 crossings of the Continental Divide), us Southern California boys thought we had mountains with the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains in our own backyard; well a new bar was set for us with this year’s 29^th annual edition of Ride the Rockies. www.ridetherockies.com

Starting in Boulder, home of the University of Colorado (and, by the way, our very own Coach Steve’s alma mater), Day 1 took us through Boulder Canyon and historic mining towns of Central City and Idaho Springs, and some very nasty weather (freezing rain, thunder, lightning, wind, wet snow) as we ascended Berthoud Pass (el. 11,315’) before a cold finish in Winter Park.  With much-improved weather, the days following took us through Parshall Canyon and along the headwaters of the Colorado River, over Muddy Pass (el. 8,772’) and Rabbit Ears Pass (el. 9,426’), into Steamboat Springs, Oak Creek, and ending in Avon on Day 4.  On Day 5 we topped Battle Mountain (el. 9,231’), historic Tennessee Pass (el. 10,424’) and high point for the day Fremont Pass (el. 11,318’) on the Top of the Rockies Scenic and Historic Byway before a finish in Breckenridge (or as the locals refer to it: “Breck”).

Map Boy and Coach at Fremont Pass Summit-Day 5

Day 6, the final day of the tour, loomed large as we dined on our final night together at the Breckenridge Brewery.  The final day’s ride was to feature the high point of the ride, Loveland Pass (el. 11,992’).  After a fitful night’s sleep we left early and took on the approximately 14-mile climb out of Keystone.  All four made it over and finished with a mostly downhill run (except for those nasty “little” bumps at Floyd Hill and Lookout Mountain) into Golden, Colorado.  Whew…done!

Rabbit and Stealth at Loveland Pass-Day 6

Last, we must take this opportunity to thank Windbreaker Wife Kathy Scheu!  At every turn, she was there to assist at aid station stops with energy drinks, fruit, snacks…you name it, she had it! And she joined the gang for the 55-mile Day 3 loop ride in Steamboat.

A great team effort and adventure…Ride On!

Ride Report: Lytle Creek Canyon

May 24, 2014.  Under cool overcast skies the Windbreakers set out on their regular weekend adventure ride to Nealy's Corner and Lytle Creek Canyon.  Ride On!

Ride Report: Amgen Tour of California 2014

Windbreakers Rabbit, Doc and Map Boy post up at stage finish in Pasadena of 2014 Amgen Tour of California.
Stage winner Peter Sagan.

Ride Report: Devore

A great spring morning ride to Nealy's Corner, Glen Helen
and Devore.  The lads stop for a selfie on Cajon Blvd (historic U.S. 66 the
"Mother Road") with the San Gabriel Mountains in the background.  Ride On!

Tour of Flanders

With the turn of the seasons from Winter to Spring also come the "classics" in bicycle racing, the epic one-day professional road races all run in Western Europe and each with unique histories and legends.  These events have been fixtures on the professional cycling calendar for many years with the oldest dating back to the 19th century.

The first of the Spring classics and one of the five "monuments" in professional cycling is upon us this weekend: the Tour of Flanders or Ronde of Flanders (Dutch: Ronde van Vlaanderen).  This year, the 259-km route will start in Brugge and finish in Oudenaarde, in the Flemish Ardennes region of Belgium and will include many of the cobbled climbs which set this race apart.  Famous among these is the Koppenberg (literally "Heads Mountain"). At 253 ft., not high by Windbreaker country standards, but nevertheless difficult due to its steepness (22% on the trickiest segments), and cobbled sections, which often are wet due to poor weather.

Eddy Merckx leads eventual winner Roger  de Vlaminck
and Freddy Maertens in the 1977 edition of the Ronde

News From Windbreaker Country

March 15, 2014. Breaking news from Windbreaker country...four of our ranks; Rick, Craig, Steve and John, will be joining approximately 2,000 other riders for the 29th annual edition of the Ride the Rockies www.ridetherockies.com cycling adventure in June.  Approximately 473 miles in the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado.  More reports to follow...Ride On!